his back to me. I laughed when he turned back around, his face bruised with aggravation.
“Hah! Made ya look!” I teased.
He scowled. “I don't know what Sparks sees in ya,” he muttered.
“Oh please,” Janey groaned with an over-the-top eye roll. “She's got the most amazing rack in this town.”
I gawked at her. “Thank you, Janey, for pointing my girls out.” Casey laughed along with Janey.
Suddenly I became lightheaded. Leaning back against the counter, I grabbed hold of the side, trying to steady myself. Stars exploded behind my eyes, my head pounded like a beating drum. My ears began popping like they do when you drive around a mountain. My palms burned, probably from me grasping the side of the counter so tightly. I closed my eyes waiting for, whatever it was, to be over.
“Clarity,” Casey said, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Are you OK?”
“Hey, you're not mad about the whole cleavage thing are ya?” Janey piped in, as usual worrying about upsetting me.
I didn't answer either of them; I just waited, holding onto the counter, for my body to get control over its uneasiness. When I finally felt like myself again, the weirdness coming to a grinding halt, I opened my eyes. Casey and Janey stood in front of me with their eyes wide, full of worry.
“Whoa,” I whispered, taken back by whatever just hit me. “I think that's my cue to leave.” The floor could wait for its mopping tomorrow.
Janey frowned, patting my back. “What happened, hon?”
“I don't know,” I told her. “All of a sudden I felt like I was gonna pass out.”
“Hope you're not getting the flu,” Casey groaned.
Janey stopped patting my back and took a few steps backward.
I chuckled. “No, I'm fine now—I think I'm just sleepy.”
“Yeah, you're probably right,” Janey concurred quickly. “It’s been a long, hard day.”
You have no idea, I thought grudgingly.
I grabbed my bag and took off my smock. “Guys, I think I'm gonna head out, I'm done here anyway.” I sighed. “See y'all tomorrow.”
“Go home and get some rest,” Janey commanded while I checked out my time card.
“Okay, I'll do that,” I told her as I walked out the doors and into the sticky night air. Clouds were moving in and the air smelled like rain was on its way.
Once I got my car door opened, I threw my bag in and slumped into the seat. I set my forehead on the cool steering wheel. Go home and get some rest, Janey had said. Yeah. Yeah right . There were a number of reasons I wouldn't get rest that night.
First, the fight between Kora and Daria that morning. Second, the way every detail around me changed the instant I saw the boy just outside the classroom, and how I heard him whisper my name, as if he stood right next to me. Third, Nick showing up at work, blaming me for Kora dumping him, and then the threat he laid down on my head. And fourth, the boy showing up at my work, learning his name was Sam, and watching as he somehow made Nick leave without a fight.
And to top it all off: My feelings. The way I felt love for Sam even though I'd just met him. Feeling guilty about holding Sam's hand, wondering what Brenton would say. The way I felt an overpowering sense of calmness and security around Sam. The way the air seemed to warm and the aroma of lavender floating up my nostrils. How everything changed once Sam disappeared. How everything changed when he appeared.
Was I going crazy, finally losing my mind? Or had I imagined all the insanity, maybe in my mind creating something that wasn't there? Creating some one who wasn't real?
A.C. was always talking about the psych ward at the hospital, talking about the people with schizophrenia who were always speaking to invisible people. Was that going to be me one day? Sitting in a wheelchair, talking to people who were not there? Talking to myself?
Wait—Nick had seen Sam, so Sam had to be real. And he'd reached out and touched me, holding my hands in his warm grasp.
No, I wasn't going
“Hah! Made ya look!” I teased.
He scowled. “I don't know what Sparks sees in ya,” he muttered.
“Oh please,” Janey groaned with an over-the-top eye roll. “She's got the most amazing rack in this town.”
I gawked at her. “Thank you, Janey, for pointing my girls out.” Casey laughed along with Janey.
Suddenly I became lightheaded. Leaning back against the counter, I grabbed hold of the side, trying to steady myself. Stars exploded behind my eyes, my head pounded like a beating drum. My ears began popping like they do when you drive around a mountain. My palms burned, probably from me grasping the side of the counter so tightly. I closed my eyes waiting for, whatever it was, to be over.
“Clarity,” Casey said, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Are you OK?”
“Hey, you're not mad about the whole cleavage thing are ya?” Janey piped in, as usual worrying about upsetting me.
I didn't answer either of them; I just waited, holding onto the counter, for my body to get control over its uneasiness. When I finally felt like myself again, the weirdness coming to a grinding halt, I opened my eyes. Casey and Janey stood in front of me with their eyes wide, full of worry.
“Whoa,” I whispered, taken back by whatever just hit me. “I think that's my cue to leave.” The floor could wait for its mopping tomorrow.
Janey frowned, patting my back. “What happened, hon?”
“I don't know,” I told her. “All of a sudden I felt like I was gonna pass out.”
“Hope you're not getting the flu,” Casey groaned.
Janey stopped patting my back and took a few steps backward.
I chuckled. “No, I'm fine now—I think I'm just sleepy.”
“Yeah, you're probably right,” Janey concurred quickly. “It’s been a long, hard day.”
You have no idea, I thought grudgingly.
I grabbed my bag and took off my smock. “Guys, I think I'm gonna head out, I'm done here anyway.” I sighed. “See y'all tomorrow.”
“Go home and get some rest,” Janey commanded while I checked out my time card.
“Okay, I'll do that,” I told her as I walked out the doors and into the sticky night air. Clouds were moving in and the air smelled like rain was on its way.
Once I got my car door opened, I threw my bag in and slumped into the seat. I set my forehead on the cool steering wheel. Go home and get some rest, Janey had said. Yeah. Yeah right . There were a number of reasons I wouldn't get rest that night.
First, the fight between Kora and Daria that morning. Second, the way every detail around me changed the instant I saw the boy just outside the classroom, and how I heard him whisper my name, as if he stood right next to me. Third, Nick showing up at work, blaming me for Kora dumping him, and then the threat he laid down on my head. And fourth, the boy showing up at my work, learning his name was Sam, and watching as he somehow made Nick leave without a fight.
And to top it all off: My feelings. The way I felt love for Sam even though I'd just met him. Feeling guilty about holding Sam's hand, wondering what Brenton would say. The way I felt an overpowering sense of calmness and security around Sam. The way the air seemed to warm and the aroma of lavender floating up my nostrils. How everything changed once Sam disappeared. How everything changed when he appeared.
Was I going crazy, finally losing my mind? Or had I imagined all the insanity, maybe in my mind creating something that wasn't there? Creating some one who wasn't real?
A.C. was always talking about the psych ward at the hospital, talking about the people with schizophrenia who were always speaking to invisible people. Was that going to be me one day? Sitting in a wheelchair, talking to people who were not there? Talking to myself?
Wait—Nick had seen Sam, so Sam had to be real. And he'd reached out and touched me, holding my hands in his warm grasp.
No, I wasn't going
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